GW’s commitment to environmental stewardship took a
giant step forward in the Fall 2008 semester with the establishment
of the University’s new Office of Sustainability. One
of the chief recommendations of the Presidential Task Force
on Sustainability, on which several E&EM members participated,
the new office is charged with spearheading GW’s expanding
environmental initiatives.

GW President Steven Knapp said that “The office will
serve as an operational umbrella to coordinate the many activities
in sustainability going on at GW—from procurement to
environmental management to new construction projects.”

A pressing item on the office’s agenda is overseeing
the creation of a comprehensive climate neutrality plan at
GW—a requirement of the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment signed by Dr. Knapp in April
2008. GW currently is conducting an inventory of greenhouse
gas emissions, and, within the next two years, will develop
a plan to reduce its carbon footprint.

The
new Office of Sustainability will provide another boost to
GW’s rapidly expanding environmental and energy management
programs. Two GW residence halls currently under construction
are registered as LEED projects with the U.S. Green Building
Council—a body that oversees green building ratings.
This past summer GW established the Institute for the Analysis
of Solar Energy and is now putting the final pieces in place
to launch a renewable energy institute on the Virginia Campus.
In addition, the University sponsors an annual “Green
Move In” and “Green Move Out” in its residence
halls, and held its first “green commencement”
in May 2008. Also, GW is on track to achieve an interim target
of recycling 30 percent of its waste.

Above:
Filmmaker and environmentalist Laurie David, left, and Grammy-winning
singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow speak with reporters at the
George Washington University on April 22, 2007, the last day
of their "Stop Global Warming College Tour."

Efforts
currently are underway to recruit a full-time Director of
the Office of Sustainability. The new Director will work collaboratively
with the others in the GW community to elevate the University’s
sustainability practices and help GW achieve leadership among
its peers.